Category Archives: Baltimore Orioles News

Baltimore Orioles: Help vote the Oriole Bird into the Mascot Hall of Fame!

It came to my attention last week that the Baltimore Orioles’ mascot, The Oriole Bird, is a finalist for the Mascot Hall of Fame. In fact, it came to my attention last week that there even was a Mascot Hall of Fame. Fans can vote for up to four finalists through October 26th by clicking here.

The Mascot Hall of Fame is located in Whiting, IN. In looking through the web page, there are already some fascinating characters in the hall. Well-known mascots such as Mr. Met, The Phillie Phanatic, Brutus (from THE Ohio State University) are already there. However there are others which have me scratching my head.

With all due respect to the University of Delaware, how is “YouDee” the Fighting Blue Hen already a hall of famer but the Oriole Bird is not?! Same with the University of Nebraska’s “Lil’ Red.” Not to mention Utah’s “Jazz Bear.”

All mascots are fun, and they all have their quirks. In the early days of the Orioles/Nationals head-to-head games each team would bring it’s mascot to the opposing ballpark. While many people would argue that allowing the opposing team to bring it’s mascot to your ballpark makes it more “friendly” than a rivalry, I always thought that was a cool thing for the fans. Regardless of which team for which you were rooting, everyone loves mascots.

But some mascots stand above the rest. Admittedly, I’ll say that the Phanatic is probably the best known and most celebrated mascot. But I would submit that the Oriole Bird is in the tier of mascots (along with the Phanatic and Mr. Met) that are best known across sports. So again…how can mascots such as YouDee already be in the mascot hall, while the Oriole Bird is scraping to get in?!

So go out and vote, folks! You can vote once a day until 10/26. As I said, you can vote four finalists. For what it’s worth, the four finalists that I’m supporting are: The Oriole Bird, “Youppi!” (Montreal Canadiens), “Globie” (Harlem Globetrotters), and “Bernie Brewer” (Milwaukee Brewers). Fans can also follow the Oriole Bird on twitter by clicking here.

Baltimore Orioles: Former Bird Gerardo Parra spearheads Washington’s title hopes

The Baltimore Orioles acquired Gerardo Parra at the trade deadline in 2015 from Milwaukee. The hope was that he would provide an additional bat in the lineup as the Orioles contended for the American League East pennant. Unfortunately for the O’s, Parra only hit .237 for the Orioles for the remainder of the year, with five home runs.

Parra’s numbers prior to coming to the Orioles were better. They were also better after he left Baltimore – which was the following season when he signed with Colorado. He ended up with the Washington Nationals in the middle of this season, and has helped to propel them into the Fall Classic.

Parra changed his at-bat song to “Baby Shark” earlier this year, and it caught on in the clubhouse and amongst the fans. Everyone knows the story by now. While Parra’s numbers in Baltimore could have been better (or more on par with the rest of his career at least), he is a former Oriole. And the only former Oriole in the World Series at that.

Anyone who noticed Washington’s rise in the standings had to notice Parra’s part in it. His Baby Shark routine acted as a spark – for both his teammates and the team’s fans. I’ll admit that I’m not a huge fan of grown men prancing around to Baby Shark, however you’d be hard pressed to argue it didn’t have an affect. Time will tell if it carries Parra’s current team to a world title.

Baltimore Orioles: Could Anthony Rendon come to Birdland?

As we know, 2019 was all about finding out what the Baltimore Orioles had, and learning a few hard lessons. The 2019 Orioles exceeded expectations as set forth on this column when they won more games than the 2018 team. So more is expected next season.

The World Series-bound Washington Nationals are right down the pike, and they enter the fall classic with pieces of their future still in doubt. Mainly, third baseman Anthony Rendon is a free agent after the season. Could the Orioles be in play for Rendon, and would he be willing to come here?

First off, Rendon’s a stud. He’s a career .290 hitter who smacked 34 home runs this year. He’s also well worth the price of admission as a third baseman, and he’s a team leader. Any team would be lucky to have him.

My prediction is that he remains in Washington. He seems very happy there, and by various accounts the franchise has attempted to sign him long term. Yet he’s neglected to accept a deal, presumably because the Nationals haven’t quite reached the number that he and agent Scott Boras want. But make no mistake that Washington is the front runner for Rendon’s services past this season, as well they should be.

However…what if the unthinkable were to occur? What if Washington were to not come up to Rendon’s number? Could he be in play – for the Orioles?

It would stand to reason that a team such as the Orioles would have to blow Rendon away with an offer for him to even consider them. He’s tasting a World Series right now (or he’s about to do so). He’s going to want to go to a contender; obviously a contender who’s capable of paying him his due.

However IF the opportunity to sign a player of his caliber were to come along, I’d say that it’s one that the Orioles should consider. Those same Washington Nationals did something like that when they signed Jayson Werth in 2011. Did they overpay? By all accounts, yes. But Werth helped to put the franchise on the map, and onto a trek that’s now landed them in the World Series in 2019.

That isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison, mind you. Washington was a better team in 2011 than the Orioles are now. But you get the point. Werth at the time was a guy who had been a winner in Philadelphia, and who knew how to win. He also provided veteran leadership to a young crop of players.

Again, would Rendon come here? Probably not…at least without a contract with terms well over and above what other teams are offering. But that might be something for the Orioles to consider. You put someone like him in the order with the likes of a Mancini, and that might accelerate your rebuilding process just a bit.

Baltimore Orioles looking to end FanFest?

The news came out yesterday that the Baltimore Orioles we’re considering putting an end to their annual FanFest celebration. It’s usually held towards the end of January at the Baltimore Convention Center, and by my account it’s always been a beloved event by fans. Last year the Orioles said that approximately 8K people came through the turnstiles. There have been years where there’ve been more, and years where there’ve been less.

I think this is a very bad idea. I tell people all the time that FanFest is all of the excitement and amenities of an actual Orioles’ game, without the game. It’s always been a great event for families and kids, and I fail to see the logic in ending it.

Word is that GM Mike Elias and the Front Office is considering another way to engage fans during the off season. So I would reserve rendering final judgement on this until the formally announce that FanFest is officially ending, and then announce what replaces it. However in general, I think that playing with fan outreach events like this is playing with fire.

FanFest is a very old event. It dates back a long way, and it’s something that’s very traditional in Baltimore. Lots of other teams do similar events as well. So ending it would be cutting deep in terms of what’s important to this fanbase. But time will tell what happens. I seriously doubt that they’ll just end it and have nothing to replace it.

Baltimore Orioles: Looking at free agent pitchers

Yesterday I asked whether or not the Baltimore Orioles should consider signing a free agent pitcher. My deduction was that it was something they should consider. And here’s another point to that ends; the Orioles played musical pitchers all season last year. Wouldn’t it suit them better to have at least one or two guys who they know will be mainstays in the rotation?

So today I wanted to throw some names out there. While it’s attractive to look towards the Strasburg’s and Odorizzi’s of the world, do we really think that’s feasible? Those are pitchers who will look for big money deals with longevity. The Orioles probably aren’t in a position to hand out a contract of that nature to a pitcher right now.

But there are more veteran pitchers out there who might come cheaper and for shorter contracts. The Orioles obviously traded Andrew Cashner to Boston last year – might both sides consider a reunion? Whether or not the Orioles would want that is another story. Cashner’s ERA ballooned when he went to Boston last year. Whereas with the Orioles he had a .383 ERA, with Boston that went up to .620. But he would be an option if he were willing to sign a team-friendly contract.

And there are other guys out there, such as perhaps Marco Estrada, or Gio Gonzalez. Ultimately the goal wouldn’t be to sign a pitcher who would be a big name so as to put people in the seats. While that would be a great addition, it isn’t the idea behind getting someone on the free agent market.

The goal would be to get an innings eater, and someone who could anchor the Orioles’ rotation and help some of the younger guys along. They did this in 2010 when they signed veteran Kevin Millwood to the staff. And he served his purpose very well. That’s the type of move the Orioles might consider making in the form of a Gio Gonzalez (among others).

And there are other names out there as well. Clay Buchholz, who could be an option. Again, the idea isn’t to get someone who might be an automatic ace. The Orioles are trying to grow their own ace in a sense. But someone to eat innings and to help show some of the younger guys the ways and means of being a big league pitcher. Someone who can perhaps be an extension of the manager and pitching coach on the field. Guys who are willing to do that are the types of guys you need when you’re building a team from the ground up as the Orioles are.

Baltimore Orioles: Should the Birds go after a free agent pitcher?

There are lots of pitchers who will be on the open market in 2019, in theory all pitchers that could be available for the Baltimore Orioles. The question is whether or not the Birds would be in a position to sign a free agent pitcher. Would it make sense?

Tough to say. This isn’t so much about who they might look to sign or who might be available and in play. It’s more about whether or not they should delve into signing one.

First off we need to look at who the Orioles already have that might be penciled into the rotation. I would say that Dylan Bundy, John Means, and Alex Cobb are in line to be starters going into spring training. That’s right, Alex Cobb…remember him? He’s still under contract with the Orioles until 2022. Unless he retires or is traded, expect him to be in the starting rotation. (Although keep in mind that he’s also coming off of season-ending surgery in 2019.)

I think there’s also a legitimate chance that Asher Wojciechowski will get a shot to compete for a starting job also. If his second half from this year continues into spring training, he’ll be in line as a starter. But is there anyone else on the roster who jumps out as a potential starter?

To me, the closest other person on the roster now might be David Hess. He’s started before, obviously. But it’ll take a great spring for him to earn his way onto the roster. So with all of this in mind, there could very well be space for the Orioles to get themselves a free agent pitcher going into the season…

…but who? That’s another discussion for another day.

Baltimore Orioles: Revisiting the sign stealing issue

The Baltimore Orioles should probably consider themselves lucky that they aren’t mired in some of the recent sign stealing controversies of late. And once again this issue is coming up and involving the Houston Astros, who according to George King‘s article in the NY Post, are once again resorting to various tactics in terms of stealing signs. And apparently using a whistle to do so.

According to the article, the New York Yankees are frosted at what they interpreted as sign stealing in the form of a whistle. According to some players, sometimes they also do things such as bang pipes. Apparently much of this starts in the bullpen. The article also points out that Houston had a league-best 60-21 record at home this year.

As I’ve said in the past, we’re kidding ourselves if we think this type of thing isn’t going on in almost every big league game. Playoffs, regular season – heck, probably even in spring training. This is now the second team in a short period of time that’s accused Houston of stealing signs. Where there’s smoke there’s usually fire.

I’ve also said in the past that foreign devices cannot be used to steal signs in games (that’s actually in the rule book). And quite frankly, that leads to the part of this which quite frankly ticks me off the most. By using a whistle, banging on pipes, etc, they’re actually outsmarting the system in a sense. They aren’t using an electronic means to steal signs – as the ChiSox did years ago with lights on the scoreboard. In accordance with the rules, what they’re doing is legal.

But as readers know, I’m old school. I believe in the unwritten codes of the game. Now to their credit, New York is handling the situation in the proper manner by changing up their signs. According to the aforementioned article they even relay signs with nobody on base so as to make it tougher for Houston to steal the signs. But I’m not going to lie…if I were in charge someone would be wearing a pitch at some point.

Baltimore Orioles: Sympathy for St. Louis fans

The Baltimore Orioles felt that they had a legit shot at a World Series title in 2014. After Delmon Young‘s bases-clearing double to in effect win game two of the ALDS and an anti-climactic win in game three to close out Detroit, they had momentum. Then they ran into a buzz saw in Kansas City.

In the Kansas City Royals, they found not only an opponent who equaled their belief in themselves, but one who wanted to do everything in it’s power to squash their opponent. As Buck Showalter would often say, some days you’re the windshield and some days you’re the bug.

In watching this year’s NLCS, I see some similarities. St. Louis won a big game five in Atlanta to get to that stage. A game in which they put up ten runs in the first inning to win. They felt they had momentum, and they believed. Now they’ve run into the Washington Nationals.

Now this isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison by any means. First off, the 2014 Orioles were a power-hitting team, and Kansas City won games on broken bat and bloop singles. In this case it’s Washington who’s more of the power-hitting team. However they’re also the team who’s seemingly got more pep than a high school cheerleading squad. That’s part of what carried Kansas City in 2014 and 2015.

So I suppose what I’m saying is that Orioles fans know what St. Louis fans are doing through right about now. I remember getting read to cover Game Four of that ALCS with Kansas City up three games to zero. My attitude was almost is there really a point to playing this game? Obviously that’s probably a bad attitude to have, but you get the point.

There is one other area in which these situations differ. Kansas City made sure that the Orioles knew they were going down, and they made sure that the Orioles saw their celebrations. Down the stretch there were numerous gestures made towards the Orioles from the Kansas City dugout in those games. I’ve seen nothing that indicates Washington’s team has guys capable of that sort of disrespect.

However the point is that Orioles fans probably get St. Louis fans in this instance. Of course you want to believe it’s possible that you can come back and so forth. However in the back of your mind you know it’s all but a done deal. And ultimately if St. Louis is able to pull off what the 2014 Orioles couldn’t (and win a game in the series), it’ll feel almost like a one-day stay of execution.

Baltimore Orioles: Deterioration of officiating

The Baltimore Orioles have had their share of mishaps involving umpires. All you need to do is look back to the 1996 ALCS against New York to know that. But even since then there’s been controversy in games – no different from any other team in any other sport.

If you’re a consumer of sports across-the-board as I am, you know that officiating seems to have deteriorated in all sports. I maintain that the worst is still college basketball. Anytime Coach A or Program A gets obvious preferential treatment over Coach or Program B, that’s a huge problem. But obviously on a daily basis we see #umpshow from any given fan base. It’s turned into a real problem.

Some people are starting to say that NFL games are becoming unwatchable. And you might have similar sentiments in baseball when an umpire decides to make himself the main attraction. In yesterday’s Dallas Cowboys vs. NY Jets game there were six consecutive plays on which officials threw flags. And they occurred at the end of the games. You know, when it’s thought that the refs aren’t going to call ticky-tack things.

And that right there might be one of the keys in terms of the crisis we see in sports when it comes to officials. There’s a total lack of situational awareness on the part of referees or umpires. If you’re an umpire it should be understood that you’re a “baseball guy.” Same is true with refs in football or basketball – you’re a “football/basketball guy.” That means it should stand to reason that you know the game and you understand how things ebb and flow in the game.

The majority of games across sports seem to come down to the wire nowadays. And that’s a good thing. However it also puts a larger emphasis on officials because they know in the backs of their heads that calls they make at key moments could affect the outcome of the game. If it’s blatant, absolutely it should be called. But if it’s borderline, is it really worth erring on the side of calling holding in an NFL game in the latter moments of the fourth quarter? Or a balk against a big league pitcher in the eighth or ninth inning?

Now one thing that we hear a lot in baseball is that if it’s a strike in the first inning it should be a strike in the ninth. And that should go without saying. But I’m not necessarily talking about balls and strikes. I’m talking of less tangible things such as holding or yes even balks. Ticky-tack things which can in fact turn games.

Under no circumstances am I suggesting that sports are fixed. I just think that certain people get more leeway to complain in some circles, and while others don’t. So what’s the solution? Beats the heck out of me!

Baltimore Orioles: Opioid epidemic hits MLB

The Baltimore Orioles and the rest of MLB were shocked and devastated earlier this season when Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher Tyler Skaggs turned up dead in his Dallas-area hotel room. The entire league justifiably seemed to take pause to honor and remember Skaggs. These sports are all brotherhoods, and players stand by one another.

We’re now hearing that an Angels’ PR employee had been supplying Skaggs with various opioid drugs for a few years, and had even been using the drugs with Skaggs. Just as a reminder, opioids are a narcotic. Short of heroin or crack cocaine, we’re talking the worst of the worst when it comes to drugs.

President Donald Trump has spoken on numerous occasions about wanting to combat the opioid epidemic that’s facing our country. In fact, it’s been slowing creeping up on us for 30 years or so. Whatever else you may think about President Trump (positive or negative), you should be behind that initiative. Again whatever else your view is of him, keep in mind that he had a brother who died as a result of drug and alcohol abuse. He’s in a position to know the endgame for people mixed up with opioids.

I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised that this was going on. Opioids has seemingly touched every other aspect of our society, so why shouldn’t it hit MLB also? But I suppose I would say that it shocked me to an extent. But it shouldn’t have; athletes have access to drugs such as pain killers that the general public does not.

The issue for the Angels and for MLB is that a team employee was supplying the opioids. Now while Skaggs was paying for the medication, that could leave the team and/or the league open to lawsuits. Possibly as harsh as wrongful death litigation.

Orioles’ GM Mike Elias and his counterpartsall need to grab the bull by the horn on this. They need to ensure that nothing of this nature is occurring throughout their organizations. Because if there are, jobs, money, and even freedom from jail could be at stake.